SUPERB AMPLIFIER, NICE REMOTE, UNMATCHED BUILD QUALITY

WEIGHS 62LBS.!

RECENTLUY PURCHASED THIS UNIT NEW IN SEALED BOX. WHAT A BEAST TO LIFT OUT. IN THE PAST YEAR I HAVE BEEN THROUGH THE ABOVE LISTED UNITS. ALL WERE VERY GOOD IN THEIR OWN RIGHT AND PRICE RANGE, BUT NONE OF THEM MATCHED THE RXV1 FOR OVERALL PERFORMANCE FROM TOP TO BOTTOM. THE AMPLIFIER SECTION ON THIS UNIT IS AS GOOD AS IT COMES FOR AN AV UNIT AND MANY SEPERATES. I HAVE KRELL SEPERATES IN A STEREO SETUP AND THIS RXV1 CAN HOLD IT'S OWN IN SEVERAL RESPECTS COMPARED TO THE KRELL. THE TUNER SECTION IS UNMATCHED IN THE AV CATEGORY. IT WILL PULL IN STATIONS LOUD AND CLEAR AND PINPOINT STATIONS THAT ARE ON A CROWDED DIAL. THE OTHER UNITS THAT I HAVE TRIED FAILED MISERABLY IN THIS AREA. STEREO SOUND IS WONDERFUL, EXTENDED, FAST, AND TIGHT BASS. MID RANGE AND HIGHS ARE FORWARD AND CLEAR WITHOUT THE USUAL HARSHNESS ASSOCIATED WITH SOME OF THE OTHERS. THE DSP MODES ARE VERY USEFUL. NOBODIES LISTENING ROOM IS THE SAME AND THE VAST ARRAY OF MODES AVAILABLE ALOOW THE USER TO FIND A SOUND THAT BEST SUITES THE ROOM. MY AV ROOM IS OVER 3000 CUBIC FEET, THIS IS AN IMPORTANT OPTION. THE ABILITY TO ADJUST CINEMA EQ ON ALL SPEAKERS IS ANOTHER OUTSTANDING FEATURE. OFTEN OVERLOOKED BY OTHER MANUFACTURES, THE PHONO SECTION IN THE RXV1 IS SECOND TO NONE, BOASTING A RESPECTABLE 86DB S/N! VINYL SOUNDS WONDERFUL. THE MOVIES THAT I HAVE PLYED SO FAR SOUND BETTER THAN EVER. IF YOU CAN PICK UP ONE OF THESE ON THE PRESENT CLOSOUT PACE, YOU WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED.
MY SYSTEM:
YAMAHA RXV1
TECHNICS DVD A 10
PIONEER CDL 704 LASER
PIONEER PDRW 839 CDR
TECHNICS SL-M3 TT
NHT 2.5i's, NHT CENTER 1, DEF TECH 15" SUB/300 WATTS
NHT 1.5'S.

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YAMAHA RXV 2095, DENON AVR 3801/4800, PIONEER ELITE VSX 39TX

DSP ALL THE WAY! The construction is perfect in how they placed the heat sinks.

Difficult manual. Not as warm as some receivers with lesser bass tones.

Awesome product. THX is not a feature on a receiver. It is a set of standards. Some manufacturers pay a price to put the Lucas label on the product, but all it is is a mark up. Yamaha chose not to spend money to put the label on theirs, but believe me this is quite capable of living up to the THX standards. A little pricy for no upgradeability.

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Denon 5802. B&K

Drives my Bose 901s and theater surround sound. Very clean, with emphasis on design suitability ("hide the technology").

remote's got a ton of tiny buttons that take some getting used to, especially in the dark. Weighs a ton.

I got this box when it first came out, and unfortunately paid top dollar for it (nobody willing to deal... take it or leave it). But be that as it may, I'm very pleased with one of only half a dozen receivers made that can drive 901s and home theater systems. Great sound.

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none

Flexibility

Weight

I haven't experimented much with the RX-V1 (haven't had the time - I plan to invest some time over the holiday season), but I can tell you it BY FAR exceeds my old Onkyo based system. The miriad of set-up options and sound fields is amazing! It may not offer ground-breaking technology, but what's there is phenominal (actually offers more options than I'll ever need)! It many not offer THX, but THX is over-hyped and not necessary for a rich and rewarding listening experience. At the price that I paid for it, I have nothing to complain about! I'm currently in the process of upgrading my speaker system (nothing but Paradigm) and anticipate great things when my upgrade is complete. Unless you're paid to listen to music all day or are a serious audiophile, the RX-V1 will easily meet and probably surpass all of your A/V reciever expectations. My wife and I are using the RX-V1 primarily for Home Theater and secondly for music listening. It performs adeptly in both tasks and provides us with clear output throughout the audible range. As for John Bell, you're the CLOWN!

Happy Listening - MJ

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None - Replaced and old Onkyo Integrated Amp (It's still kickin, and is being used in my "second" system)

Very good Staging and good sound fields. Lots of power, I recommend using all 8 channels for complete surround sound.

I really have not found one yet, but the manual could be better.

By far the best receiver I have ever owned. Tons of power to drive my NHT Towers even though im considering bi-amp. The staging is very good the overall freq. response is good. But what really convinced me that this is an amazing unit is the clarity of the DTS encoded material. I really recommend this receiver, I think it really is one of the best ever made, and at this price you really cannot do better.

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Denon AVR4800

Too many to mention

Lack of pre out amp in loops for all channels

I bought this reciever as a showroom demo during a store moving sale. So I figured that I wasn't out much if I blew the thing to hell by doing some modifications. The following is a post that I wrote in a home theater BB in response to the problem with the various channels dropping out. The resolution is easy as you will see below:

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I just gutted my RX-V1 to do a mod that gives me a pre out loop send and return for all eight channels. I cannot stand to not be able to use a 31 band EQ on each channel. What I did find as a weakness is that the pre-outs for each channel is a switched connector. When you plug in a RCA jack into the pre out, it lifts a blade in the jack that routes the signal from the pre amp back into the amp. So, when you plug in a cable, the amp input is lifted. Then, on the L,C,R channels, when you plug the cable back into the "in" receptical, the signal is routed back to the amplifier. I found that these switched connectors are made out of a chrome plated tin material and are suseptible to dirt and dust build up. You may want to try just plugging in a rca cable from the affected channel's pre out. If it is the left, center, or main channels, then do it for both the pre out and amp return for the respective channel. If, after doing so, the level increases; then the dirt is your problem. You can leave it as is and just follow this proceedure anytime you lose a channel; or, for a more desperate measure, get some contact cleaner and spray it into the jack. MAKE SURE THE RECIEVR IS UNPLUGGED!!! While it is still wet, insert an rca connector in and out a few times. Make sure the contact cleaner you get is safe for all plastics as some of them will destroy plastic. The ones that are safe for all plastics will say so on the label.
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I wouldn't recommend doing the mod unless you have some experience with electronics and don't mind voiding your warranty. With what I spent on the unit, and the fact than I am a Electrical Engineer, I felt it was worth the risk. The only reason that I mentioned the mod was to qualify my experience with the unit. If you want to know how to complete the modification, e-mail me and I'll give you the link.

Out of the box, this unit is awesome; THX or not. When compared to my Onkyo TX-DS939 (which is THX certified) I don't see the big issue with having THX. MAybe with the middle of the road units THX is a factor; however, among the flagships I personally think it's moot. Yamaha has gotten their act together on this one!!

Danny

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Onkyo TX-DS939

It has everything! The sound quality is good enough for both music and home theater. Fantastic look and feel.
You feel you have the best amp around. Good remote.

None really important. Out of production strangely enough. It was a bit on the expensive side. Lack DPL II and Discrete DTS 6.1 (the matrix works fine!)
It helps if you are familiar with Yamaha when you try to learn all it can do.

Well Yamaha has really packed this unit with a range of facilities! Apart from the obvious DD and DTS there are 54 very interesting room simulations - most from actual venues from all over the world. Jazz clubs and concert halls.

The reason to buy this flagship is if you want to combine movies and music listening into one amp. Yamahas real strength is in the DSP-business of room simulations. As you can see I had a Yamaha DSP-A1092 before which was wonderful in its own right, but did not have the extensive DSP-possibilities of AX1 (sweden). A long time ago I had a DSP-A1 which dealt with DSP-music only, which could give very good results on classical and jazz. With this amp I have both worlds!

The build quality is fine (but not like the best-Accuphase etc.) It weighs 28 kilos and never runs hot thanks to large heat sinks (no fan thank god!) It has every in-output you´ll ever need (I hope). The all digital volume-control is very nice to handle and very precise in 0.5 db steps for all channels. If you turn the control by hand fast or slow also make a difference. Nice touch! It looks gorgeous in Gold-finish. It´s a large and very deep unit.

The remote learns about everything and is precoded for MANY pieces of equipment. I use it for DVD, CD, VCR, TV and the remote can learn just about everything.

Setting up is not so easy. Maybe many listeners will just replace the old amp and plug it in as 5.1 without the front effect or the back surround channel. But please take the time, place and effort to do so. You will be rewarded!

My speakers:
Main: Snell EIII (Great!)
Center Snell CC1 (Good but to small)
Front: Jamo ART Flat speaker(surprisingly good)
Surround: Old DUX-speakers firing up.
Back Surround/Center Mirage BPS (very nice bipolar)I use txo of them.
Subwoofer: Audio Pro B2-70 (a bit slow - goes VERY low. Best for home cinema)
Bass Shakers (sofa): AURA Pro (best thing since sliced bread. Simply great!)

All in all 10 speakers. Call me crazy but this is fun!

I use two back center surrounds for more diffuse sound. If you engage 6.1 a lot of the surround information will crowd in the back channel - so better is to use two speakers (Also THX standards btw).

Movies sound very clear (but never harsh) and panning is fine. Music scores are a joy. You are very much surrounded and the soundstage is everlasting. Since I use 110 inch picture (Sony VW-10HT) I want a HUGE sound which the Yamaha gives me - especially in the "Enhanced" mode. The front speakers up on the front wall are then engaged. I listened to Cast Away in DTS the other night and the plane crasch was really frightening! The sound in DTS are almost real (note almost). Rain, waves sound very nice and draw you into the movie. My preferred choice with music is the DD Enhanced 6.1 and DPL Enhanced which give the right amount of DSP for me. I do not use the other film modes so much. 6.1 works fine with most movies with great "flybuys"! Gladiator DTS is stunning. On the whole i prefer DTS to DD but DD can sound great too whith the higher bit rate. It sound a lot better than 3-4 years ago. I'm not the "headbangin" kind of guy, and since I live in an apartment I have great use of the bass shakers. I can play quite modrate volumes and still feel the bass. Every now and then I crank up Apollo 13 launch to my family and friends. After that I have to force them out of my sofa. Their first reaction to the shakers are "Ohh the whole sofa shakes!" The next on is "How much do they cost?". Allower I feel the Yamaha is very transparent to the source and finally finally matches the glorious picture.

Musicwise it is great! The DSP settings work fine when carefully attuned settings. Jazzmusic is particularly great with an enhanced "You are there"-feeling. The front surround speakers is a must here. Pop-music is mostly good, but It depends on the recording. I played Peter Gabriel´s San Jacinto loud in the Church-setting and it was mind-blowing with his wonderful voice hovering in the church acoustic and the physical touch by the bass shakers!!! I actually almost started crying (rarely happens).

Some people complain a bit over the amp-section which is six times 110 honest watts in 8 ohm. It has plenty of power. I compared 2 channel stereo with my Accuphase Integrated E-406 and sure the Accuphase is a better amp (28 kg for 2 channels!) but the difference is surprisingly small. (The Accuphase went back in the box. The Yam is good enough for now). I use the internal DACS for CD and they are VERY good. Detailed, smooth foot-tapping etc....

This is getting lengthy but as you can read I am very happy with this flagship model. I like the 6.1 feature and it takes care of both music and home-theater in an extremely satisfying way. I read about some people having problems with channels dropping out which concerns me, but mine works just fine. Take you time and effort to hook up 10 speakers (+Bass shakers!) Calibrate and you will be rewarded.

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DSP Modes, clean sound. The better your speakers the better the sound will be. I bet if you hook this up to some B&W's you will not be lacking in brightness,accuracy or realism.

Bass Management

Clarifications: I agree with John on the default settings of many of the modes have high reverb and delays, but that is it. Furthermore, Yamaha AV Receivers amp sections were lacking in the past because they put most of their focus into the home theatre experiance (DSP). Like it or not this was the grass roots approach, make them affordable to the consumer. Now after more than 15 years of home theatre success things have changed and you now no longer have this situation. You have quality all the way around.

As for the DSP chips, and the upgradeability. When the time comes when this unit is so outdated (not talking Dolby Pro II)I will bypass its processors altogether. It can/could/will be done. Funny how someone who couldn't figure out how to adjust the sub is now claiming that it can not be upgraded in the future. And with this thinking I shouldn't buy a PII 1.2 GIG b/c it will be outdate in say six months time by a processor that is twice as fast. This product doesn't deserve anything less than 4 Stars and that is only b/c the bass management, which we can blame on Ugh!!! Mr. Lucas and his THX.

The amplifiers power supply is beefed weighing in @ 21 lbs alone. It has plenty of power and dynamic headroom for loud bass heavy passages. The older Yamaha were so disapointing with their amps, but they got this one down. Yamy has never been known for their great sounding amps. They have been known for their DSP. They got this one together. Some fools at a respected audiophile magazine did a supposed head to head with the Denon and other similiar priced products, what they didn't tell you in the article was that the power source used when doing laboratory measurements weren't done in the same manner. They fessed up to their blunder as to why the RX-V1 had inferior numbers but they didn't release any numbers of those same tests under the same circumstances. Why ? They never retested? Anyway, the sound is warm, not like a class a amp but so what! This amp is crisp, clean, clear, detailed and it has testicles. The higher bit DSP chips easily make more of a differancebetake care of this easily with amazing results. It has graghic EQ for the front LCR speakers that range from 100hz -8K hz. This monster also has cinema settings with a parametric EQ and cross over settings to tune and match all your speakers in the system. The only thing that was a drag was below.

The Manual could have been put together much better (ole John could then learn how to adjust the sub) with regards to settup and tuning section would have been very helpful. This product will take you many hours to set up correctly. Then many more hours of tuning and tweaking for your speaker matching/room acoustics. It will then give you twenty-five years of enjoyment. It has total upgradability, amps, DSP, Tuner. Whatever. An audio enthusist who knows that for Home Theatre Yamaha is the one. Yea so their is no THX. The specs on the Yamaha exceed the THX specs anyway. How old are they now? Lucas' soundtracks never impressed me anyway

In response to John (the audiophile) from MI. I respectfully ehhmm! disagree. This product has a sub adjustment level and more flexibility than any product on the market. Yes who is realy gonna use 54 DSP Modes with crazy delays and reverb but you can adjust each mode to your own flavor. I have messed with all and they are amazing. Take the reverb and delays down and you have one hellava experiance. So if your realy bored one day you can tweek the individual modes as to your liking. Oh yea, they dropped the price $1000 or so dollars b/c they are coming out with the new flagship with Dolby Pro-Logic II. To find out more about PLII check out Dolby on the www.

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It sounds great, the dsp modes.

Set up is quirky,

To sum it up: I love how the Rxv1 sounds. Everything I play with it sounds great. Movies, every whisper and nuance is heard with clarity with none of the dramatic sounds effect failing to impress . The sound stage is vast with depth and the image is very realistic. I am really pleased with it. Music sound well like music what more can I say, except while I was listening to Ricky Lee Jones CD and a friend came in the the room and said it sounds like she is right here. The she simply settled down to listen. I started out with one simple goal. I am using this in a home theater with a Dwin Transcaner DLP (simply wonderful projector) 16*9 DA-lite 80*45 1.3 gain screen. The room is quite large about 1000SQFT. My front speakers are DIVA6.1 with no front effect speakers configured, center is Diva2.1 HSU VTF sub and Diva 2.1 for rear and rear center. (my review of these great speaker coming soon)

The RXV1 lacks for nothing, filling my room with stunning sound and never running out of juice. Forget about specs go with how it sounds and the Yamaha beats the competition hands down.

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